To provide the student with basic knowledge of sensor and automation technologies. To understand the operative impact of their applications in the farm.

Acquired skills:

To know the working principles of automation systems adopted on agricultural machinery and farms plants and to assess their main characteristics. To understand their role in the farm processes and in the practical implementation of Precision agriculture principles.

Course contents:

***This course is held in English***

The course has classes (basic theory) and labs (hands-on projects).

Classes syllabus:
Functions, operating principles and architecture of
automatic control systems.
Main sensors used on agricultural machines and in the
farm.
Digital electronics: digital data, data bus and
microcontrollers
Electrical and hydraulic actuators
Outlook of automation on tractor, agricultural
machinery and farm plants
Precision agriculture and variable rate technologies
(VRT)

Labs syllabus:
Students in working groups are guided to develop simple automation projects according to their specific interests.

Program:

Todayĺs agricultural machines and farm plants are more and more adopting automatic systems aimed to increase the complexity of the accomplished tasks, with dramatic increase of productivity, while operator fatigue is reduced and impact on environment is minimized.

This course introduces to the technology on which automation is based -such as sensors, control systems, power hydraulics and electronics- and analyses the characteristics of the main applications in the farm and on agricultural machines.

Students are strongly recommended to have taken one
course in the area of Agricultural machinery or Farm
mechanisation

Preparatory instructions:

none

Learning materials:

material will be distributed during classes and published at course webpage:
http://robertiama.ariel.ctu.unimi.it

Other info:

The course is held in English
In labs, groups of students are guided to develop automation projects according their specific
interests.
The exam (in Italian or English) is based on the presentation of the projects developed and a critical discussion of the results obtained